Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Football

Richard Jolly
Guardiola and co. are through to the last-16 – thanks to Jose Mourinho
Miguel Delaney
What absurd row in Saipan tells us about Irish identity and principles
Will Castle
The second coming of Karius, eight years after his Liverpool nightmare

<p>Chelsea FC announced on Wednesday that Raheem Sterling is to leave the club</p>

Richard JollyFootball

Why Sterling’s sad decline is symptomatic of Chelsea’s chaos

Sterling’s four seasons at Chelsea featured six managers and a transfer outlay of £1.6bn – there may still be hope for the former England star’s career

<p>Bernardo Silva is out of contract at the end of the season</p>

richard jollyFootball

Silva blends Man City past and present to raise one Guardiola question

Doku sends Man City into knockouts but his injury causes concern

<p>Benfica's Anatoliy Trubin celebrates scoring their fourth goal and sending them into the play off round</p>

miguel delaney

Mourinho’s magic moment brings drama to predictable Champions League

<p>Moussa Diaby has spent 18 months at Al-Ittihad since leaving Aston Villa in July 2024</p>

Tottenham set to rival Inter Milan for ex-Aston Villa winger Diaby

Inside Football

<p>Arteta-ball is hard to get behind without results</p>

The unbearable weight of Arsenal’s long wait for the league title

<p>Mikel Arteta and Arne Slot shake hands (Alastair Grant/AP)</p>

The game plans behind the Premier League’s dullest feature this season

<p>Plenty has been made of the contrasting styles and fortunes of Glasner and Amorim </p>

Glasner raises uncomfortable truth – and makes life harder for himself

How United’s reset puts the spotlight on their next permanent manager

ACFC

<p>Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso shake hands with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior</p>

Football’s next tactical innovation is ‘just not having a manager’

<p>Discover the absurdities and oddities of the beautiful game with the Adam Clery Football Column</p>

Unpack football’s absurdities with Adam Clery’s ACFC newsletter

<p>Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo (2ndR) shows the red card to English forward Wayne Rooney</p>

Football wishes it was darts – but darts wants to be pro wrestling

<p>Scotland’s Scott McTominay scores the opening goal during the win over Denmark (Andrew Milligan/PA)</p>

Someone call the police! Scott McTominay has just been robbed

Premier League

The BBC will not pick up the tab for any of the work done by Micah Richards, centre, or Alan Shearer, right, related to The Rest Is Football podcast during the World Cup (Handout from Netflix/PA)

BBC will not fund Alan Shearer and Micah Richards’ World Cup podcast costs

Luke Littler is eyeing another big prize (John Walton/PA)

Luke Littler aiming to add another major title to collection at World Masters

<p>Arsenal are one of five Premier League sides through to the round of 16</p>

Premier League clubs learn possible Champions League last 16 opponents

Thomas Frank celebrates with Kevin Danso after Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt (PA Wire via DPA)

Thomas Frank hails ‘incredible’ achievement as Tottenham progress in Europe

European football

Reaction from Champions League finale as Newcastle enter play-offs

Joe Willock (centre left) celebrates after scoring Newcastle’s equaliser (Michael Euler/AP)

Newcastle denied last-16 spot as PSG draw sends them into play-offs

Chelsea fans urged to take ‘caution’ in Naples after pair hospitalised

International football

<p>Fifa president Gianni Infantino (right) may need to intercede with US president Donald Trump to avoid a World Cup boycott</p>

How Trump’s Greenland obsession could spark a World Cup boycott

<p>Brahim Diaz tried to Panenka the decisive penalty and missed</p>

Brahim Diaz and the worst Panenka penalty misses after Afcon despair

<p>Senegal fans try to invade the pitch amid the chaos of the Afcon final</p>

Why did Senegal walk off v Morocco? How Afcon final went into meltdown

Football League

Portsmouth and Southampton share points in fierce renewal of rivalry

<p>The fan sadly died after suffering a medical emergency at the Valley</p>

Charlton fan dies as Portsmouth game abandoned for medical emergency

Championship leaders Coventry strike late to go 10 points clear

Football betting

<p>Best football betting sites ranked</p>

Best Football Betting Sites UK: Top 10 Ranked (January 2026)

<p></p>

Best Betting Sites UK: Top 10 Online Bookmakers For June 2025

Best Betting Sign Up Offers and Free Bets UK (January 2026)

How to bet on football